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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pop — music
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fork — in a road
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mine — for digging

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