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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. court — for sport
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. firm — steady
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. tube — a container
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. fork — in a road
  13. court — of law
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. court — of a king
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — clever
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stock — shares
  22. firm — a company
  23. tube — the underground
  24. firm — decided

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