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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. present — the time now
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. present — a gift
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rule — government
  10. mug — a face
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. can — a tin
  15. mug — a cup
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rule — a law
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — there
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bulb — for light

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