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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — a short time
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. present — a gift
  16. can — a tin
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fine — all right
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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