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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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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: arm · pound · bear · bore · chip · firm · rule · cell

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rule — a law
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — government
  8. bore — to tire
  9. firm — a company
  10. bear — the animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bear — the animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. firm — steady

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