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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cell — a phone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pound — a weight
  10. staff — employees
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a path
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cell — in biology
  16. staff — employees
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mate — to breed
  20. staff — a stick
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. track — a song
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. game — a match

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