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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. court — of a king
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. track — to keep track
  6. court — for sport
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wind — moving air
  10. court — of law
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pound — a weight
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lie — to recline
  15. roll — a list
  16. bore — to drill
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. roll — a cake
  21. content — happy
  22. bore — to tire
  23. content — the amount
  24. roll — on a roll

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