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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: firm · pass · fine · fork · prune · shower · game · pound

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fine — high quality
  5. game — a match
  6. pass — a permit
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fine — all right
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. game — wild animals
  18. firm — decided
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — steady
  24. game — a kind of play

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