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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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 — to hit hard
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bass — low music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. shower — to wash
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. prune — to trim
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  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