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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. ground — a position
  4. rule — government
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rock — a stone
  8. object — a thing
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. object — to protest
  11. spring — of water
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — an aim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rock — music
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ground — crushed

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