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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — a weight
  4. saw — the tool
  5. court — for sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bore — to drill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. court — of a king
  14. row — to paddle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. suit — to fit
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. court — of law
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bore — to tire
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. row — a line
  24. suit — clothes

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