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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. land — to come down
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bore — to drill
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. land — a country
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chair — a leader
  15. land — ground
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rest — a break
  24. sharp — with an edge

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