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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pound — a weight
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fine — high quality
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. game — a match
  17. cue — a hint
  18. game — wild animals
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. scale — in music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. squash — the sport

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