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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: mug · object · bore · spring · kick · prune · pound · pitcher

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. object — a thing
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. object — an aim
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spring — the season
  20. object — to protest
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mug — to rob

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