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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. board — to get on
  6. fine — all right
  7. row — a line
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stock — shares
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stock — goods
  13. board — a committee
  14. fine — high quality
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. present — there
  17. bank — for money
  18. present — the time now
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. present — a gift

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