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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. court — of law
  10. branch — a division
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fine — all right
  16. court — for sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pound — a weight
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. court — of a king
  24. pound — to hit hard

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