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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. roll — a list
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bark — to shout
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. charge — a price
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. charge — in control
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. charge — electricity
  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