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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — in a road
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. game — wild animals
  20. toast — bread
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cell — a phone

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