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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. face — to confront
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bore — to drill
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. swing — music
  10. chip — to eat
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. swing — in golf
  16. face — to point toward
  17. swing — to play on
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chip — for betting

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