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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stock — goods
  4. squash — the sport
  5. present — a gift
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. squash — to crush
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stock — shares
  12. spell — letters
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. spell — magic
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pound — a weight

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