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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. ball — a great time
  13. land — ground
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pound — a weight
  21. land — to come down
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. land — a country
  24. mine — an explosive

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