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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. present — the time now
  7. swing — to play on
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. craft — boats
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mate — a partner
  14. kick — in football
  15. craft — a skill
  16. swing — music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. present — a gift
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bore — to tire
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mate — a friend
  24. court — for sport

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