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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pound — a weight
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bark — to shout
  12. foot — a measure
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. sharp — clever

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