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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pop — soda
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. drill — army training
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a friend
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. drill — a practice
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — a partner

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