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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 · mine · pitcher · chair · board · bore · mark · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mug — a face
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. board — a committee
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mug — to rob
  18. board — to get on
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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