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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — to bear
  3. object — a thing
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pound — a weight
  9. object — to protest
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. craft — boats
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. object — an aim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fine — all right
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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