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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. squash — to crush
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mug — a cup
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. content — the amount
  15. club — a group
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. content — happy
  21. club — for golf
  22. wake — a trail
  23. last — finally
  24. squash — the vegetable

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