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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. content — happy
  5. fine — high quality
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pound — a weight
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mine — for digging
  14. content — the amount
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pitch — completely
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fine — all right

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