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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. march — music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. lean — thin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. march — the month
  11. lean — to bend
  12. march — the month
  13. capital — a city
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. capital — money
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mate — a partner

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