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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mug — a face
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. bore — to drill
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bore — to tire
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. charge — a price
  15. game — a match
  16. mug — a cup
  17. toast — bread
  18. dip — to sink
  19. charge — in control
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. charge — electricity
  24. dip — a sauce

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