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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. object — a thing
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. object — to protest
  7. band — a ring
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rash — a series
  10. object — an aim
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rash — hasty
  16. band — a music group
  17. rock — music
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pop — soda
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pop — to visit
  22. field — a subject
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pop — music

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