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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stock — goods
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mug — a face
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. game — a match
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. shower — rain
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stock — shares
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. game — a kind of play

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