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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — a thing
  10. last — finally
  11. bear — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. last — final
  24. fan — to cool the air

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