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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: present · pound · wound · mate · rest · object · pitcher · bay

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rest — a break
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. present — there
  9. object — to protest
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pound — a weight
  13. object — a thing
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — to breed
  24. object — an aim

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