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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. march — music
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rest — a break
  8. march — the month
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fine — all right
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pound — a weight
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bulb — for light
  19. march — the month
  20. row — a line
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rest — what's left
  24. row — a quarrel

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