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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. season — of the year
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bank — of a river
  11. game — a match
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. scale — in music
  20. bank — for money
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — in sport

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