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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. land — ground
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. press — to push
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. press — a publisher
  8. land — a country
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pound — a weight
  15. land — to come down
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. staff — employees
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. press — newspapers
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pound — to hit hard

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