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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. hand — in cards
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — to drill
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bore — to tire
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. hand — help
  14. bear — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. degree — an amount
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. squash — to crush
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. squash — the sport

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