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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — a position
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stock — goods
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lean — thin
  11. press — to push
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bore — to tire
  19. press — a publisher
  20. deal — to handle
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lean — to bend

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