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

Word bank: deal · last · pop · wake · net · ground · bay · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. last — final
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pop — soda
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. net — in sport
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ground — a position
  15. pop — music
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. last — to go on
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ground — the earth
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. last — finally
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ground — crushed

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