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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pound — a weight
  6. club — for golf
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pop — music
  12. net — for catching
  13. stem — to come from
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pop — soda
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. club — a group
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. net — in sport
  23. tear — to rip
  24. net — after costs

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