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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. last — final
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stock — shares
  13. last — to go on
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bass — low music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. last — finally
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. racket — for tennis

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