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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mark — a trace
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pound — a weight
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mark — a grade
  16. clip — for paper
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. clip — a video
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bore — to drill
  24. key — in music

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