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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. last — final
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. last — to go on
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spell — letters
  11. pound — a weight
  12. last — finally
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spell — magic
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. foot — a measure
  24. jam — a tight spot

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