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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. saw — the tool
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. shower — to wash
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fine — all right
  11. scale — size or range
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — high quality
  15. scale — in music
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. club — for dancing
  23. shower — rain
  24. pound — a weight

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