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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. track — a path
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — all right
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. track — a song
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the tool

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