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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fine — high quality
  8. net — for catching
  9. pound — a weight
  10. last — final
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mug — a face
  13. last — to go on
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mate — a partner
  17. last — finally
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mug — a cup
  20. net — in sport
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mate — a friend
  24. net — after costs

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