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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. court — of a king
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. drill — army training
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pit — in a race
  12. drill — a practice
  13. court — of law
  14. fine — all right
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. content — the amount
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. content — happy
  22. court — for sport
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fine — high quality

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