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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — a price
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rest — a break
  7. club — a group
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. shower — rain
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — for golf
  21. ball — a dance
  22. charge — in control
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wound — an injury

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