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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fine — all right
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ground — crushed
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fine — high quality
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. season — of the year
  14. branch — a division
  15. face — to confront
  16. ground — a position
  17. pound — a weight
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. face — part of the head
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — in sport
  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