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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pound — a weight
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bore — to drill
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mug — a face
  8. clip — a video
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bore — to tire
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. race — the arms race
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cue — a signal
  19. clip — for paper
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. pound — for dogs

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