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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cue — for pool
  8. hand — help
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bass — low music
  20. rash — a series
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pass — a permit

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