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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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Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pit — in a race
  11. toast — bread
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. game — a match
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cabinet — ministers

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