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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. club — a group
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. club — for golf
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pound — a weight
  21. club — for dancing
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bowl — a dish

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