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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mate — a friend
  3. suit — in cards
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pound — a weight
  6. net — after costs
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. row — a line
  9. mate — a partner
  10. net — for catching
  11. row — to paddle
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. staff — employees
  15. net — in sport
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mate — to breed
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. can — a tin
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. suit — clothes
  23. can — a tin
  24. suit — to fit

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