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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mate — a partner
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. tear — from crying
  12. net — in sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stock — shares
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. net — after costs

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