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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bore — to drill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. club — a group
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mark — a grade
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. club — for golf
  21. squash — to crush
  22. club — for dancing
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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