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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ground — a position
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mug — a face
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mark — a grade
  15. scale — in music
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mark — a trace
  18. scale — size or range
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rule — government
  22. wake — a trail
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ground — crushed

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