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

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. club — for golf
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — a group
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. race — humankind
  17. can — a tin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. can — a tin
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fork — in a road

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