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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bore — to drill
  3. date — the fruit
  4. track — a song
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bulb — for light
  7. race — humankind
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — a contest
  19. track — a path
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pound — a weight

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