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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. row — to paddle
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pound — a weight
  14. branch — a division
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. row — a line
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. toast — bread
  24. pitcher — a jug

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