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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. suit — to fit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cabinet — ministers

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