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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stem — to come from
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. firm — steady
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. firm — decided
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — a company
  24. staff — employees

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