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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: pit · rock · ground · prune · march · tube · fan · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pound — a weight
  5. march — the month
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. march — music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ground — a position
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. march — the month
  18. rock — music
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — crushed
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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