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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: wake · mate · mark · leaves · mouse · land · pound · bore

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. mate — a friend
  3. land — ground
  4. bore — to drill
  5. land — to come down
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pound — a weight
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. land — a country
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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