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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 120 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 dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. suit — in cards
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. pound — a weight
  7. suit — clothes
  8. season — in sport
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spell — magic
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. spell — letters
  15. season — of the year
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — a short time
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hand — help
  24. suit — to fit

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