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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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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: wound · content · mouse · staff · kid · pound · rock · bore

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. content — happy
  5. kid — to tease
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kid — child
  21. bore — to tire
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rock — music

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