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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. scale — size or range
  3. board — a committee
  4. spring — of water
  5. staff — a stick
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. staff — employees
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pound — a weight
  12. board — to get on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. scale — in music
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — the tool
  21. spring — the season
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spring — a coil
  24. board — a flat piece

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