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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. present — the time now
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. spell — letters
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. roll — a list
  8. present — a gift
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — a container
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. spell — a short time
  16. tube — the underground
  17. present — there
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pound — a weight
  20. roll — a cake
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spell — magic
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pound — to hit hard

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