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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pound — a weight
  3. kick — in football
  4. court — of law
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mug — to rob
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rule — government
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rule — a law
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mug — a face
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pound — to hit hard

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