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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cap — of ice
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fall — the season
  11. fine — all right
  12. net — after costs
  13. cap — a lid
  14. net — for catching
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. net — in sport
  18. fine — high quality
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pound — a weight
  21. branch — a division
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — for tennis

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