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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mate — a partner
  3. current — electric
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — finally
  8. mate — a friend
  9. staff — employees
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. last — to go on
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. current — of water
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. current — happening now
  20. pound — a weight
  21. last — final
  22. staff — employees
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mate — to breed

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