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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. key — the most important part
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — in music
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. season — in sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. season — of the year
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wound — an injury

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