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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 124 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. dip — to sink
  4. can — a tin
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. scale — size or range
  7. roll — a list
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. scale — in music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. charge — a price
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. charge — in control
  21. pound — a weight
  22. roll — a cake
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hand — help

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