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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 116 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mine — for digging
  4. suit — clothes
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fine — all right
  12. mug — a face
  13. game — a match
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ball — a great time
  17. clip — for paper
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mug — to rob
  20. clip — a video
  21. suit — to fit
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mug — a cup

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