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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — to be able to
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. tear — to rip
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pound — a weight
  14. tear — from crying
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. squash — to crush
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — ground
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. land — to come down
  21. can — a tin
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. land — a country
  24. squash — the vegetable

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