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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 120 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kick — in football
  7. ball — a great time
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. net — after costs
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. net — in sport
  15. mine — for digging
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. net — for catching

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