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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: pound · bore · mine · cue · dip · sharp · bulb · fork

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bore — to drill
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mine — for digging

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