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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pop — music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. pound — a weight
  20. staff — a stick
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. present — a gift

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