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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fall — the season
  5. pop — soda
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. staff — employees
  8. pit — a hole
  9. game — wild animals
  10. staff — a stick
  11. game — a match
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fork — in a road
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pop — music

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