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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. spring — the season
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bore — to tire
  6. game — a match
  7. mark — a trace
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. wound — an injury
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bore — to drill
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fine — high quality
  22. spring — of water
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pit — a hole

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