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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. snap — to click
  11. court — of law
  12. pit — a hole
  13. track — a song
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mate — to breed
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wind — moving air
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mate — a partner

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