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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bound — tied together
  6. court — of a king
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. court — for sport
  14. bound — obliged
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of law
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bound — certain
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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