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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bore — to drill
  3. court — for sport
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — to tire
  6. court — of law
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. court — of a king
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ground — the earth

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