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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rash — a series
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pound — a weight
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — to crush
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. squash — the sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. can — a tin
  18. court — of a king
  19. can — to be able to
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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