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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. pit — a hole
  5. toast — bread
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pit — in a race
  8. net — after costs
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pound — a weight
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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