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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. bound — certain
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. file — a tool
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. file — a document
  11. bore — to tire
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. bore — to drill
  18. band — a ring
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. press — to push
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pass — to succeed
  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