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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fine — high quality
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fine — all right
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. race — a contest
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. race — humankind
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mug — a face
  15. swing — in golf
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ball — a dance
  22. swing — music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. prune — to trim

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