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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. lean — thin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pound — a weight
  7. drill — army training
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitch — completely

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