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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pound — a weight
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. hand — help
  14. bark — to shout
  15. deal — to handle
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hand — in cards
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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