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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fine — all right
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. snap — to click
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pound — a weight
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bass — low music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bass — the fish

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