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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. land — to come down
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bore — to drill
  11. current — of water
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chair — a leader
  15. current — happening now
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pound — a weight
  19. current — electric
  20. land — a country
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. land — ground
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bore — to tire

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