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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. march — music
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. club — a group
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stem — to come from
  17. club — for dancing
  18. march — the month
  19. pound — a weight
  20. club — for golf
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. can — a tin
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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