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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rash — hasty
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rock — a stone
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rash — a series
  14. rule — a law
  15. rock — music
  16. current — electric
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. current — of water
  20. pound — a weight
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. current — happening now
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. prune — to trim

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