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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cell — a phone
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. sharp — clever
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. scale — in music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rule — government
  17. cell — in biology
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pound — to hit hard

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