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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. tube — a container
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. court — of a king
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. shower — rain
  22. fork — in a road
  23. tube — the underground
  24. arm — part of the body

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