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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: rock · nail · cold · bore · can · toast · pound · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — not warm
  10. can — a tin
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. can — a tin
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. toast — bread
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rock — music
  24. 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