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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rule — a law
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. charge — a price
  7. bass — the fish
  8. net — in sport
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. last — to go on
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. net — after costs
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. last — finally
  18. charge — electricity
  19. last — final
  20. charge — in control
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. net — for catching
  23. rule — government
  24. bass — low music

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