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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. drill — a practice
  6. land — a country
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. land — to come down
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. object — to protest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. drill — army training
  15. object — a thing
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. land — ground
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bear — the animal

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