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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — to crush
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rest — a break
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. row — a line
  10. object — an aim
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pit — a hole
  17. object — a thing
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. object — to protest
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pound — a weight
  22. squash — the sport
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bear — the animal

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