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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pit — in a race
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. last — finally
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mine — for digging
  16. deal — to handle
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bear — the animal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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