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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. court — for sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. clip — a video
  6. pit — a hole
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pop — soda
  11. squash — to crush
  12. court — of law
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pop — to visit
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. deal — to handle
  22. court — of a king
  23. clip — to cut
  24. squash — the sport

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