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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stock — shares
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. roll — a cake
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. land — a country
  17. roll — a list
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — goods
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. prune — the fruit

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