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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. firm — steady
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rock — a stone
  8. firm — decided
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. field — for sport
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. field — a subject
  18. rock — music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. firm — a company
  23. ground — a position
  24. field — farmland

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