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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 124 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rash — a series
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stock — shares
  5. rash — hasty
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lean — thin
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. suit — clothes
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fine — all right
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitcher — a jug

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