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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bore — to tire
  6. field — farmland
  7. rash — a series
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. field — a subject
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fine — high quality
  13. perch — the fish
  14. field — for sport
  15. kick — in football
  16. fine — all right
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pound — a weight
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mate — a partner
  24. kick — with a leg

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