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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rest — what's left
  3. file — a tool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rest — a break
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ground — a position
  13. file — a document
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mouse — the animal

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