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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pit — a hole
  6. game — a match
  7. bear — the animal
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. scale — in music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wind — to turn a key

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