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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pound — a weight
  6. firm — decided
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ground — the earth
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. firm — a company
  13. row — a line
  14. shower — rain
  15. row — to paddle
  16. firm — steady
  17. ground — a position
  18. mark — a grade
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. prune — to trim

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