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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. club — for golf
  8. present — a gift
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pit — in a race
  12. club — a group
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — the earth
  15. chair — a leader
  16. season — in sport
  17. present — there
  18. season — of the year
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. present — the time now
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pit — a hole

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