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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. charge — electricity
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pop — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — help
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bore — to drill
  14. charge — a price
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. perch — the fish
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pound — a weight
  21. charge — in control
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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