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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ground — the earth
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — a position
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pound — a weight
  14. shower — rain
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. fine — all right
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fine — a penalty

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