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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fine — all right
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — to come down
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. land — ground
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. tear — from crying
  18. land — a country
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pound — a weight

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