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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — a grade
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. season — in sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. clip — a video
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. clip — for paper
  12. prune — to trim
  13. saw — the tool
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — of the year
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. clip — to cut
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pound — a weight
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. prune — to trim

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