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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. face — to point toward
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. snap — to click
  11. hand — help
  12. pound — a weight
  13. face — to confront
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pitch — completely
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pound — to hit hard

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