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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mug — a face
  6. present — the time now
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ground — a position
  12. club — a group
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. club — for golf
  15. present — a gift
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ground — crushed
  21. tube — a container
  22. bat — the animal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. present — there

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