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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. deal — to handle
  3. court — of law
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bank — of a river
  8. row — to paddle
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. court — for sport
  12. file — a tool
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — a break
  16. row — a line
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. court — of a king
  19. file — a document
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rest — what's left
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bank — for money
  24. pound — a weight

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