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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rest — what's left
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chest — of your body
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rest — a break
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. drill — army training
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chest — of your body
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chest — a box
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. drill — a practice

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