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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pound — a weight
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. content — the amount
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. content — happy
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bass — the fish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mouse — the animal

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