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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. wound — an injury
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — steady
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fine — all right
  23. firm — decided
  24. rest — a break

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