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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 120 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitch — completely
  3. can — a tin
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — to drill
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fall — the season
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bark — to shout
  16. net — in sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. can — a tin
  19. capital — money
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. capital — a city
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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