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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. club — a group
  3. rash — a series
  4. pound — a weight
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. prune — to trim
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. march — the month
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. club — for dancing
  15. march — the month
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. club — for golf
  18. march — music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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