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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. object — a thing
  13. track — to keep track
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. track — a path
  18. dip — to sink
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. last — to go on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — a song

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