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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. ground — a position
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fine — all right
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fine — high quality
  22. deal — to handle
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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