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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pound — a weight
  4. court — of law
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rock — music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — of a king
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. race — humankind
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. row — a line
  15. staff — employees
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fine — all right
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. court — for sport
  22. race — a contest
  23. staff — a stick
  24. row — to paddle

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