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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: bear · pound · scale · bore · suit · field · face · net

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. suit — in cards
  3. net — for catching
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. face — to confront
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. net — in sport
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. field — a subject
  12. face — part of the head
  13. suit — to fit
  14. net — after costs
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. face — to point toward
  18. scale — in music
  19. field — for sport
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. suit — clothes
  23. field — farmland
  24. bore — to tire

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