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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. tube — the underground
  7. shower — rain
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pound — a weight
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. prune — to trim
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. season — of the year
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. season — in sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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