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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. land — to come down
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mug — a face
  7. firm — decided
  8. mug — to rob
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mug — a cup
  11. hand — in cards
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — steady
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pound — a weight
  16. land — a country
  17. band — a ring
  18. land — ground
  19. hand — help
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — a company
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hand — part of the body

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