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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rule — a law
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. net — in sport
  10. bore — to drill
  11. net — after costs
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rule — government
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bore — to tire
  21. net — for catching
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. key — in music

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