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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pop — to visit
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. key — for a lock
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fall — to drop
  12. key — in music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. fine — all right
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pound — a weight
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fall — the season
  24. key — the most important part

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