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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. season — of the year
  12. rash — hasty
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kid — to tease
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — in sport
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rash — a series

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