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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stand — to bear

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