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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. net — in sport
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rule — government
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. net — for catching
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — a position
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mug — a face
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. net — after costs
  17. rule — a law
  18. bank — for money
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rule — to rule out

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