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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. object — to protest
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rule — a law
  8. root — of a plant
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. object — an aim
  14. club — a group
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. root — of a word
  18. rule — government
  19. bore — to tire
  20. kid — child
  21. root — the cause
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pound — a weight

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