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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bound — tied together
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bound — obliged
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. current — happening now
  12. fine — high quality
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. snap — to click
  16. current — of water
  17. bound — certain
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fine — all right
  23. current — electric
  24. pitcher — a jug

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