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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cell — a phone
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cell — in biology
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. content — happy
  17. mug — a face
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. wound — an injury

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