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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 is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. track — a song
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. present — there
  4. fine — high quality
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cue — a signal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. present — a gift
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fine — all right
  23. present — the time now
  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