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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. firm — decided
  5. last — to go on
  6. court — of a king
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — to drill
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. court — for sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. firm — a company
  15. last — final
  16. firm — steady
  17. court — of law
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. last — finally
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bore — to tire
  24. leaves — to go away

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