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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pound — a weight
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. spring — the season
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fork — in a road
  11. net — in sport
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. current — of water
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. spring — of water
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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