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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. net — for catching
  2. bore — to drill
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of a king
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pop — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. firm — decided
  10. track — a song
  11. kid — child
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pop — soda
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pop — to visit
  17. kid — to tease
  18. firm — steady
  19. net — after costs
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. track — a path
  23. net — in sport
  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