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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fine — high quality
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — a song
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. craft — boats
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rule — government
  16. mug — a face
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. track — a path
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mug — to rob
  24. track — to keep track

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