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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. capital — money
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. present — the time now
  13. bulb — for light
  14. face — to confront
  15. present — a gift
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ball — a great time
  20. capital — a city
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. face — to point toward
  23. present — there
  24. capital — a big letter

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