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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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. last — to go on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. last — finally
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. track — a path
  10. last — final
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wind — moving air
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. track — a song
  24. wind — to turn a key

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