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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ball — a dance
  7. suit — in cards
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ball — a great time
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chair — a leader
  18. content — happy
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. suit — clothes
  21. can — to be able to
  22. content — the amount
  23. bore — to drill
  24. ball — a round shape

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