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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. object — a thing
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rest — what's left
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rush — hurry
  18. game — a match
  19. bore — to drill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. object — an aim
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rest — a break

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