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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. staff — employees
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — for digging
  7. kid — to tease
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. object — an aim
  12. staff — employees
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. object — a thing
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. scale — in music
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. object — to protest
  23. staff — a stick
  24. kid — child

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