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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fork — in a road
  3. object — an aim
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pop — music
  12. scale — in music
  13. object — a thing
  14. track — a path
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pop — soda
  17. band — a ring
  18. pop — to visit
  19. track — a song
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. object — to protest
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. band — a music group

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