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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mate — to breed
  3. tube — a container
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pit — a hole
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pit — in a race
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mate — a partner
  17. present — there
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mate — a friend
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pound — a weight
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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