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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. rock — a stone
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. row — to paddle
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. deal — to handle
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rock — music

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