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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. present — there
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pound — a weight
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. present — a gift
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — the time now
  24. pitcher — a jug

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