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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. band — a music group
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fine — all right
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. band — a ring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. current — happening now
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fine — high quality

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