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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rest — what's left
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pound — a weight
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bore — to tire
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bore — to drill
  24. dip — a sauce

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