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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. land — ground
  3. stock — goods
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pop — music
  6. land — a country
  7. stock — shares
  8. pop — soda
  9. mark — a grade
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — rain
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. land — to come down
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pound — for dogs

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