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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mug — a face
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rash — a series
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mug — a cup
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bore — to drill
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ball — a great time
  24. foot — the bottom

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