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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pop — soda
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pop — music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. season — in sport
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. kid — child

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com