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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pound — a weight
  3. net — in sport
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. net — after costs
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pop — soda
  20. net — for catching
  21. bore — to drill
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bowl — to roll

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