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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. clip — a video
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pound — a weight
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. clip — for paper
  10. stock — shares
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stock — goods
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mate — a friend
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stock — a soup base

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