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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. tube — the underground
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kick — in football
  10. snap — to click
  11. rock — a stone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rock — music
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. tube — a container

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