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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. last — to go on
  3. cap — of ice
  4. charge — a price
  5. pop — music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. charge — in control
  9. pop — soda
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. last — final
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pound — a weight
  16. row — a line
  17. ground — a position
  18. bore — to tire
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. last — finally
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bore — to drill

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