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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fine — all right
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. tube — a container
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pop — music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pound — a weight
  14. swing — in golf
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pop — soda
  19. swing — music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bore — to drill
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mug — a face

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