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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. land — to come down
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bore — to drill
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. land — ground
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bank — for money
  15. pound — a weight
  16. land — a country
  17. bank — of a river
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a roll

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