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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. net — in sport
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. charge — in control
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. pound — a weight
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. charge — electricity
  12. net — after costs
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fine — all right
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. row — to paddle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — to sink
  22. net — for catching
  23. prune — to trim
  24. charge — a price

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