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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 124 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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. net — after costs
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. squash — to crush
  12. foot — a measure
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. net — for catching
  15. wound — an injury
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. net — in sport
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. charge — electricity

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