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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bore — to tire
  3. clip — for paper
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ball — a dance
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. key — in music
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bore — gave birth

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