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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. object — an aim
  5. fork — in a road
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. object — a thing
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. object — to protest
  12. mine — for digging
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bulb — for light

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