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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. track — a song
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bank — for money
  12. court — of law
  13. fine — all right
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a path
  19. pound — a weight
  20. track — to keep track
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. kick — in football

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