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

Word bank: date · kick · pitcher · toast · pound · mouse · rule · lash

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. toast — bread
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. kick — in football
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pound — to hit hard

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