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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. race — humankind
  6. perch — the fish
  7. object — an aim
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. object — to protest
  14. scale — size or range
  15. squash — the sport
  16. object — a thing
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. scale — in music
  24. bore — gave birth

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