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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pound — a weight
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rock — music
  13. rash — a series
  14. fine — all right
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. content — happy
  17. rock — a stone
  18. roll — a list
  19. content — the amount
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. hide — animal skin

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