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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fine — all right
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bass — low music
  5. present — the time now
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. current — electric
  10. present — there
  11. current — happening now
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. content — happy
  16. bass — the fish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. present — a gift
  19. current — of water
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. content — the amount
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fine — high quality
  24. temple — a place of worship

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