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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fork — in a road
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pound — a weight
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. band — a music group
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. band — a ring

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