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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. sharp — clever
  3. squash — the sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. squash — to crush
  6. root — the cause
  7. snap — to click
  8. root — of a word
  9. key — in music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. fine — all right
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. key — for a lock
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mug — a cup
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fine — high quality

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