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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. net — for catching
  7. can — to be able to
  8. net — after costs
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. can — a tin
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stock — shares
  23. net — in sport
  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