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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. toast — bread
  3. bound — certain
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. scale — in music
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bound — obliged
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bulb — for light
  14. root — the cause
  15. bulb — for light
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pound — a weight
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. chair — a leader
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bound — tied together
  24. scale — size or range

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