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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 116 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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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: pound · kid · fan · game · bore · cue · kick · firm

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. game — a match
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. firm — a company
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. kid — child
  8. kick — in football
  9. firm — steady
  10. game — wild animals
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bore — to drill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. firm — decided
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cue — a signal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pound — a weight
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fan — a supporter
  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