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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. content — happy
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fork — in a road
  8. content — the amount
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pit — in a race
  11. present — the time now
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. present — a gift
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wind — moving air
  24. present — there

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