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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — all right
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cue — a signal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mug — a face
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pound — a weight
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cue — a hint

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