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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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. bulb — for light
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ground — a position
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ground — crushed
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stem — to come from

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