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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fall — the season
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stock — goods
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rash — a series
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bore — to drill
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stock — shares
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fall — to drop

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