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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. snap — to click
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. craft — boats
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. tube — the underground
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pound — a weight
  15. season — in sport
  16. tube — a container
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. degree — from a university
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. degree — temperature
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. craft — a skill
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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