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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. track — a song
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kid — child
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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