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

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. season — in sport
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. season — of the year
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. scale — in music

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