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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitch — completely
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. last — to go on
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. can — a tin

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