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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bass — the fish
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. season — in sport
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bass — low music
  12. march — the month
  13. bore — to tire
  14. track — to keep track
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. season — of the year
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. march — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. track — a song
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. track — a path
  24. march — the month

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