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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. capital — money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. present — the time now
  13. rock — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. hand — in cards
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. ball — a great time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. present — a gift
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. capital — a city
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bore — to drill

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