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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. court — for sport
  7. firm — decided
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wake — a trail
  10. firm — a company
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. deal — to handle
  17. court — of law
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. court — of a king
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — an agreement

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