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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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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. kid — child
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pound — a weight
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fork — in a road
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pass — a permit
  17. kid — to tease
  18. nail — for a hammer

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