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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. net — in sport
  6. lie — to recline
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. capital — money
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. net — after costs
  20. bore — to tire
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. race — humankind

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