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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. tube — a container
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pound — for dogs

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