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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pound — a weight
  7. snap — to click
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. scale — in music
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rush — hurry
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rest — a break
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mouse — the animal

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