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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. shower — rain
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chair — a leader
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. shower — to wash
  12. land — ground
  13. mug — to rob
  14. land — a country
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. land — to come down
  18. present — a gift
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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