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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cue — a hint
  13. board — to get on
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. board — a committee
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. safe — a strongbox

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