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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bore — to tire
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bound — obliged
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bound — certain
  14. club — for golf
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. club — a group
  23. rock — music
  24. hand — help

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