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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pop — soda
  6. spring — the season
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. firm — steady
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cue — for pool
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pound — a weight
  19. spring — of water
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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