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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: field · fine · pound · degree · racket · tear · bore · chest

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chest — a box
  3. tear — to rip
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chest — of your body
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. pound — a weight
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tear — from crying
  19. field — for sport
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bore — to drill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. degree — an amount
  24. racket — a loud noise

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