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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. present — there
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pound — a weight
  7. present — the time now
  8. bore — to drill
  9. file — a document
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fine — high quality
  15. present — a gift
  16. file — a line of people
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pit — a hole
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fine — all right
  21. pit — in a race
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pound — to hit hard

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