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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ground — a position
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bore — to tire
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. tube — a container
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mark — to pay attention

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