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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a ring
  8. present — the time now
  9. band — a music group
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. sharp — clever
  22. present — a gift
  23. rest — a break
  24. present — there

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