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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bank — for money
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pop — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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