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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 120 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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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 · straw · bore · bark · net · key · cap · hand

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. net — in sport
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pound — a weight
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. key — in music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hand — help
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bark — to shout
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bore — to tire
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cap — of ice
  20. net — for catching
  21. cap — a hat
  22. net — after costs
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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