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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. kid — to tease
  3. tube — a container
  4. fine — all right
  5. pound — a weight
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. kid — child
  19. scale — in music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mug — a face
  24. fine — a penalty

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