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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rest — a break
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pound — for dogs

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