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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. spell — letters
  5. pound — a weight
  6. hand — help
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rock — music
  12. content — the amount
  13. spell — magic
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fine — all right
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spell — a short time
  19. content — happy
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — a stone

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