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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. swing — music
  12. field — farmland
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. field — a subject
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. content — happy
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mug — a cup
  20. content — the amount
  21. mug — a face
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. field — for sport

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