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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · bay · present · pound · ball · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. present — there
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ball — a dance
  7. deal — to handle
  8. present — a gift
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. present — the time now

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