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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bass — low music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — the instrument
  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