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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pop — soda
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. land — a country
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pop — music
  17. pound — a weight
  18. march — the month
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pop — to visit
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bulb — for light

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