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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: chair · suit · club · pound · squash · foot · lean · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. squash — the sport
  5. club — for golf
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. foot — a measure
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. squash — to crush
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. suit — in cards
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lean — to bend
  18. club — a group
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lean — thin
  24. suit — to fit

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