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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cap — a hat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. track — to keep track
  9. object — a thing
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. track — a song
  15. object — to protest
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. track — a path
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. object — an aim

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