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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bore — to tire
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. march — the month
  14. rash — a series
  15. staff — employees
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. staff — employees
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. march — the month
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. deal — to handle
  24. march — 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