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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. court — of law
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. court — for sport
  8. track — a song
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fine — all right
  14. track — a path
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. court — of a king
  18. rush — hurry
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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