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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mate — a partner
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stock — shares
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stock — goods
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pop — soda
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mug — a cup
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mate — a friend
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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