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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kick — in football
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. foot — a measure
  10. can — a tin
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. can — a tin
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. can — to be able to

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