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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pound — a weight
  8. kid — child
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. season — of the year
  12. mug — a face
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. season — in sport
  24. mark — a grade

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