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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rash — a series
  3. rest — a break
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. season — of the year
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cue — a hint
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fine — all right
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. season — in sport

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