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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cold — not warm
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. board — to get on
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stand — to bear
  15. hand — help
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mug — a face
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bore — to drill

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