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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bore — to tire
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. firm — a company
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. firm — decided
  13. fork — in a road
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. firm — steady
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chair — a professorship

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