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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. ball — a great time
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pound — a weight
  8. court — of a king
  9. bore — to tire
  10. spell — magic
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. spell — letters
  17. court — of law
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. court — for sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bore — to drill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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