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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. charge — a price
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. firm — decided
  6. pit — a hole
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. firm — steady
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pit — in a race
  16. season — of the year
  17. firm — a company
  18. wind — moving air
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. charge — in control

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