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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. craft — boats
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. march — music
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. craft — a skill
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. squash — the sport
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — magic
  18. march — the month
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tube — a container
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — a sauce

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