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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rock — music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. prune — to trim

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