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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · bowl · wind · pound · bore · pit

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pound — a weight

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