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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. drill — army training
  3. pound — a weight
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — a country
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. land — ground
  13. face — to confront
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. perch — the fish
  22. land — to come down
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — to hit hard

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