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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fine — all right
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mug — a cup
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. band — a music group
  9. land — to come down
  10. mug — a face
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. land — ground
  14. fine — high quality
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mug — to rob
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a ring
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — a country
  24. cell — a phone

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