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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. present — the time now
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fine — high quality
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. sharp — clever
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. roll — a list
  14. fine — all right
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stem — to come from
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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