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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 116 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bore — to drill
  5. swing — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fall — the season
  9. pop — soda
  10. kid — child
  11. pop — to visit
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fall — to drop
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. branch — a division
  17. swing — to play on
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pop — music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. swing — in golf
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pound — for dogs

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