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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bore — to drill
  9. can — a tin
  10. bore — to tire
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cue — a signal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fall — to drop
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cue — for pool
  20. row — a line
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — the season
  23. can — to be able to
  24. racket — a loud noise

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