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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — to tire
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pit — a hole
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rule — a law
  8. season — in sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. season — of the year
  24. bore — gave birth

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