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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. chip — to eat
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. content — happy
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. content — the amount
  14. club — for golf
  15. chip — for betting
  16. field — farmland
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. content — videos and posts

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