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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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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: spell · sharp · bat · pass · pound · rest · fine · saw

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spell — magic
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bat — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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