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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. scale — in music
  13. can — a tin
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pound — a weight
  16. can — to be able to
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. can — a tin
  22. chair — a leader
  23. snap — to click
  24. chair — to sit on

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