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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — an aim
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fork — in a road
  6. object — a thing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pound — a weight
  10. object — to protest
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mark — a grade
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fork — to eat with

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