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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 120 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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cold — an illness
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. file — a tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fine — all right
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pit — a hole
  14. file — a document
  15. stock — shares
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pit — in a race
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cold — not warm
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. dip — a sauce

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