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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. season — in sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rock — music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pound — a weight

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