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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. track — a path
  12. present — a gift
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. present — there
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kid — to tease
  21. present — the time now
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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