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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bound — certain
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. object — a thing
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bound — obliged
  16. object — an aim
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fine — high quality
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. object — to protest

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