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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pound — a weight
  3. game — a match
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. pop — music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pop — soda
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — the season
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pit — in a race
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spring — of water
  24. pop — to visit

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