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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. land — a country
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mark — a trace
  7. land — to come down
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — ground
  24. mark — a grade

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