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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pound — a weight
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. race — humankind
  14. ball — a great time
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. race — the arms race
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fall — the season
  23. bore — to tire
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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