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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fall — the season
  11. spell — magic
  12. clip — a video
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. date — the fruit
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stock — goods
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stock — shares
  22. spell — letters
  23. clip — for paper
  24. fall — to drop

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