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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. sharp — clever
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fork — in a road
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. foot — a measure
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bore — to drill

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