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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. prune — to trim
  7. drill — the tool
  8. toast — bread
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. drill — a practice
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pass — a permit
  18. shower — rain
  19. drill — army training
  20. present — a gift
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. snap — to click
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pass — to spend time

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