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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stand — to bear
  3. charge — a price
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. charge — electricity
  11. club — a group
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — soda
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. charge — in control
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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