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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pound — a weight
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — to paddle
  8. band — a music group
  9. cue — a hint
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lie — to recline
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a ring
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. field — for sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. row — a line
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. row — a quarrel

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