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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fine — all right
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. root — the cause
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. root — of a word
  19. fine — high quality
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. firm — decided

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