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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. key — in music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. row — a line
  9. bound — obliged
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stock — shares
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stock — goods
  15. bound — certain
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bark — to shout
  18. foot — a measure
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wake — a trail

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