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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bear — the animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. chest — a box
  14. can — a tin
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. can — a tin
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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