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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. march — the month
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — of a king
  11. bore — to tire
  12. date — the fruit
  13. squash — to crush
  14. march — the month
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. court — of law
  19. rash — a series
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. march — music
  24. squash — the sport

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