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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. last — finally
  3. band — a music group
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pit — in a race
  6. charge — in control
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. charge — a price
  10. last — to go on
  11. band — a ring
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. last — final
  17. foot — a measure
  18. charge — electricity
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a document
  24. pit — a hole

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