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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. capital — money
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. roll — a list
  12. rock — music
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rock — a stone
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. object — a thing
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rock — to move gently

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