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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. swing — to play on
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ground — crushed
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. swing — music
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ground — the earth
  17. shower — to wash
  18. swing — in golf
  19. shower — rain
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bore — to drill
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — a position

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