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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bear — the animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. scale — size or range
  8. saw — the tool
  9. scale — in music
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. club — a group
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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