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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. staff — a stick
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. toast — bread
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pop — to visit
  11. hand — help
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. staff — employees
  14. pop — music
  15. hand — in cards
  16. scale — size or range
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pop — soda
  24. staff — employees

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