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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pound — a weight
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fine — all right
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fine — high quality
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. nail — on a finger

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