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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bore — to tire
  6. ground — a position
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. staff — employees
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. row — to paddle
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. staff — a stick
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — employees
  17. ground — the earth
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. row — a line
  24. sharp — clever

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