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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: bore · mug · craft · ground · track · pound · season · rule

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. craft — a skill
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mug — a face
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. craft — boats
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. track — a path
  16. ground — a position
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. season — in sport
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. season — of the year
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ground — crushed

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