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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bore — to drill
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — of a king
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. spell — magic
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spell — letters
  18. rock — music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. rock — a stone
  23. row — a line
  24. bore — to tire

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