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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pound — a weight
  4. row — a line
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. swing — music
  7. season — in sport
  8. sharp — clever
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. row — to paddle
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fine — all right
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mug — a cup
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mug — a face
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mug — to rob
  23. swing — to play on
  24. season — of the year

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