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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — a trail
  24. racket — for tennis

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