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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. land — ground
  6. pop — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. field — for sport
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. land — a country
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. land — to come down
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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