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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — a match
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bore — to tire
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. prune — to trim
  12. game — wild animals
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — a committee
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. board — to get on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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