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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pop — to visit
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. pop — soda
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. net — for catching
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — music
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — a company
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. tube — a container
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pound — a weight
  24. tube — in a tire

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