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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 116 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: pound · deal · rule · net · wake · sharp · mouse · mark

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rule — a law
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rule — government
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. net — in sport
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. net — after costs
  18. deal — to handle
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. net — for catching
  24. wake — before a funeral

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