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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. toast — bread
  6. swing — to play on
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. swing — in golf
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. present — the time now
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pound — a weight
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rule — government
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rule — a law
  21. hand — help
  22. craft — boats
  23. swing — music
  24. hand — in cards

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