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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: mouse · bore · fall · pound · stick · arm · bowl · race

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fall — the season
  15. bore — to tire
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. race — a contest
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bore — to drill

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