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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — a price
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. clip — a video
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mark — a grade
  17. prune — to trim
  18. charge — in control
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. prune — the fruit

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