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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. object — to protest
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. club — for golf
  14. object — an aim
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rest — a break
  18. pound — a weight
  19. last — finally
  20. object — a thing
  21. tube — a container
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rest — what's left

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