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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. field — for sport
  10. key — in music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. field — a subject
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. field — farmland
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fork — a garden tool

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