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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. hand — help
  3. kick — in football
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bat — the animal
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. patient — a sick person

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