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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. game — a match
  3. bore — to drill
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. ground — crushed
  7. spell — a short time
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bore — to tire
  10. hand — in cards
  11. game — wild animals
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hand — help
  20. spell — letters
  21. pound — a weight
  22. ground — a position
  23. spell — magic
  24. temple — a place of worship

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