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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. craft — boats
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. race — humankind
  11. tube — a container
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bear — the animal
  14. race — a contest
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. perch — the fish
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rash — a series

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