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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. swing — music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. swing — to play on
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. snap — to click
  24. stem — to come from

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