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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fall — the season
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. spring — of water
  5. kick — in football
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. roll — a list
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spring — the season
  12. band — a music group
  13. prune — to trim
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. band — a ring
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fall — to drop
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pound — a weight

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