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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pop — soda
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pop — music
  7. bass — low music
  8. mate — to breed
  9. band — a ring
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. prune — to trim
  13. band — a music group
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. prune — to trim

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