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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — a position
  4. kick — in football
  5. ground — crushed
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bore — to tire
  8. last — to go on
  9. bore — to drill
  10. sharp — clever
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. firm — a company
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. last — finally
  16. firm — steady
  17. mate — a partner
  18. last — final
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pop — music
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mate — to breed
  24. firm — decided

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