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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hand — help
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. deal — to handle
  24. swing — in golf

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