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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. present — a gift
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. staff — employees
  10. prune — to trim
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. present — the time now
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. present — there
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pound — a weight

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