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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 120 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 · mine · leaves · pound · present · fork · cabinet · bay

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. 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. firm — steady
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. firm — decided
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. present — there
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. present — a gift
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. firm — a company
  24. 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