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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pound — a weight
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. object — an aim
  16. kid — child
  17. tube — a container
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bear — the animal
  20. object — a thing
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — the underground
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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