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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. shower — rain
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pound — a weight
  7. prune — to trim
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bear — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. current — electric
  15. bear — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. current — happening now
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. current — of water

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