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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. firm — steady
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. firm — decided
  13. game — a match
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. firm — a company

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