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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 120 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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. present — the time now
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pound — a weight
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. present — a gift
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — magic
  14. fine — all right
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spell — letters
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spell — a short time
  23. present — there
  24. bear — to put up with

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