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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. staff — employees
  4. shower — rain
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. roll — a list
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. shower — to wash
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bear — the animal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. staff — a stick
  17. toast — bread
  18. band — a ring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. staff — employees
  23. scale — in music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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