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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. file — a tool
  11. court — of law
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. court — of a king
  14. pit — a hole
  15. file — a document
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — in a race
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. court — for sport
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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