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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pop — soda
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. court — of law
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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