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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — a thing
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cell — a phone
  16. object — an aim
  17. mark — a trace
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. object — to protest
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cell — in biology
  23. foot — a measure
  24. racket — for tennis

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