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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pound — a weight
  3. tear — to rip
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bank — for money
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bore — to drill
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bank — of a river
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spring — of water
  13. scale — size or range
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tear — from crying
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. scale — in music
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bore — to tire
  20. key — in music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — for money
  23. spring — a coil
  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