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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. suit — in cards
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ground — crushed
  13. dip — to sink
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ground — a position
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bass — low music
  24. suit — clothes

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