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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. firm — decided
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. firm — a company
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fine — high quality
  7. can — to be able to
  8. press — to push
  9. net — for catching
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — steady
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. row — a line
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fine — all right
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. net — in sport
  21. press — newspapers
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — a trail
  24. net — after costs

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