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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: game · spell · pound · chair · mark · bore · net · staff

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. spell — letters
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bore — to drill
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — a trace
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mark — a grade
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spell — magic
  13. net — in sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. net — for catching
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pound — to hit hard

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