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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rock — music
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mug — to rob
  5. key — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — a weight
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mug — a cup
  11. scale — in music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lean — thin
  14. mug — a face
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lean — to bend
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rock — a stone
  19. race — humankind
  20. scale — size or range
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. race — a contest
  24. lean — to rest against

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