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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — all right
  16. root — of a word
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. root — the cause
  24. prune — the fruit

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