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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. field — a subject
  5. fork — in a road
  6. field — farmland
  7. track — a song
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bank — for money
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. track — a path
  21. field — for sport
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fork — to eat with

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