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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. firm — decided
  4. cue — for pool
  5. club — for golf
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. club — a group
  11. firm — a company
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — the season
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. can — a tin
  18. fine — all right
  19. pound — a weight
  20. spring — a coil
  21. club — for dancing
  22. spring — of water
  23. firm — steady
  24. branch — a division

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