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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. season — of the year
  17. track — a song
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. season — in sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mug — a face
  24. track — a path

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