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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: fine · pound · mate · jam · track · mug · press · stick

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mug — a face
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fine — all right
  10. track — a path
  11. mate — to breed
  12. track — to keep track
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mate — a friend
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a song
  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