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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bound — obliged
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bound — certain
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bound — tied together
  24. squash — to crush

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