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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mug — a face
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. track — to keep track
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. track — a song
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. track — a path
  18. chair — a leader
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fine — all right
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bowl — to roll

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