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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ground — crushed
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bore — to drill
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ground — a position
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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