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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — a container
  5. kid — to tease
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. kid — child
  16. mug — to rob
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mug — a face
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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