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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a cup
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. root — the cause
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rule — a law
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. toast — bread
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rule — government
  19. root — of a word
  20. cold — not warm
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mug — a face

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