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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. last — final
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. club — a group
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mug — to rob
  9. field — farmland
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pound — a weight
  12. last — to go on
  13. club — for golf
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. field — for sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. field — a subject
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mug — a cup
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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