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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. scale — in music
  6. land — a country
  7. squash — the sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — to drill
  10. land — to come down
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — ground
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pound — a weight
  21. tube — a container
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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