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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 124 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. last — to go on
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. land — to come down
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. last — final
  12. land — ground
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rock — music
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rock — a stone
  18. land — a country
  19. last — finally
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. can — a tin

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