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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: rule · bore · game · mark · net · tear · mate · pound

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. net — after costs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mark — a trace
  5. net — for catching
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. game — a match
  12. net — in sport
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rule — government
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rule — a law
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tear — from crying
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mate — a partner

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