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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. present — there
  3. key — in music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — for a lock
  6. present — the time now
  7. pound — a weight
  8. key — the most important part
  9. season — in sport
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. row — a line
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. present — a gift
  24. season — of the year

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