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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ground — the earth
  6. net — after costs
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bore — to tire
  11. perch — the fish
  12. net — in sport
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rule — government
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. ground — a position
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. net — for catching
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — a law
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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