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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. date — the fruit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pit — a hole
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bore — to tire
  12. scale — in music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bore — gave birth
  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