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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. march — music
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. last — to go on
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. last — finally
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. march — the month
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. last — final

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