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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. ball — a great time
  2. pound — a weight
  3. can — a tin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. track — a path
  14. ball — a dance
  15. can — a tin
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. track — to keep track
  21. sharp — clever
  22. track — a song
  23. hand — help
  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