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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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. field — farmland
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. last — finally
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mine — for digging
  14. craft — boats
  15. last — final
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. last — to go on
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. craft — a handicraft

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