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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wake — a trail
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. nail — for a hammer

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