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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fine — all right
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. firm — steady
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. pound — a weight
  12. firm — decided
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bank — for money
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. firm — a company
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cold — an illness
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bank — of a river

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