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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. ground — crushed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bore — to drill
  13. ground — a position
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pit — a hole
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pit — in a race

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