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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. club — a group
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. land — to come down
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. land — a country
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mate — a friend

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