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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. date — the fruit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rock — a stone
  14. foot — a measure
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rock — music
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. race — humankind
  21. perch — the fish
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. pound — a weight

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