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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mark — a grade
  6. roll — a list
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pound — a weight
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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