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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · rest · key · chair · dip · bear · sharp · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. key — for a lock
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rest — a break
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pound — a weight
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fine — all right
  24. sharp — clever

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