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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: bass · scale · fork · mine · pound · bore · kick · pop

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ 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. mine — belonging to me
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. scale — in music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bass — the fish
  11. kick — in football
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bass — low music
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pop — 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