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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. land — to come down
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ball — a great time
  13. land — a country
  14. bore — to tire
  15. row — a line
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stand — to bear
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. land — ground
  24. straw — dry grass

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