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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cap — a lid
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. tube — a container
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pop — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pop — soda
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tube — in a tire

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