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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. clip — a video
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. scale — in music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. net — in sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. clip — to cut
  13. net — after costs
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. net — for catching
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. chip — for betting
  19. scale — size or range
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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