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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. spring — the season
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. object — a thing
  13. hand — help
  14. spring — of water
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. object — to protest
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rush — hurry

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