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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. land — to come down
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pound — a weight
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. land — a country
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pop — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. squash — the sport
  19. land — ground
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pop — to visit
  23. squash — to crush
  24. hand — help

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