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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mate — a partner
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rest — a break
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. rest — what's left
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — to breed
  15. scale — in music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pit — a hole
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pit — in a race
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — in golf

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