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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bore — to tire
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. staff — a stick
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. deal — to handle
  13. shower — rain
  14. staff — employees
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. saw — the tool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pitcher — a jug

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