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

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mug — a face
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. board — to get on
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pit — in a race
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rock — music
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bore — to tire
  24. jam — a tight spot

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