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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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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: court · hand · bear · press · staff · wake · bore · pound

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. press — to push
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pound — a weight
  10. staff — employees
  11. court — of a king
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. court — of law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. staff — employees
  21. court — for sport
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. press — a publisher
  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