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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spring — of water
  6. object — to protest
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. court — for sport
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. deal — to handle
  14. current — happening now
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. pound — for dogs

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