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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. drill — army training
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bank — for money
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. land — ground
  12. drill — the tool
  13. land — a country
  14. bank — for money
  15. deal — to handle
  16. drill — a practice
  17. land — to come down
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  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