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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. charge — a price
  5. pound — a weight
  6. craft — boats
  7. stock — shares
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. craft — a skill
  16. charge — in control
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. can — a tin
  20. charge — electricity
  21. can — a tin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stock — goods

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