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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. march — the month
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pound — a weight
  6. key — in music
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. march — music
  16. cue — a hint
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cue — a signal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bore — to drill
  24. kid — child

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