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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bore — to tire
  24. coach — a trainer

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