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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fine — all right
  6. pop — music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bound — certain
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bound — tied together
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pop — to visit

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