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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pop — soda
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — of water
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — music
  18. hide — animal skin

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