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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bore — to drill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bass — the fish
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a great time
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fork — in a road
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bass — low music
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. fork — a garden tool

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