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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. court — of law
  3. pound — a weight
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. saw — the tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. root — of a plant
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rock — music
  11. court — for sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. root — of a word
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. root — the cause
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. row — a line
  23. fork — in a road
  24. court — of a king

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