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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. present — the time now
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — there
  13. snap — to click
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. scale — size or range
  19. present — a gift
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pit — in a race
  22. scale — in music
  23. ball — a dance
  24. perch — for a bird

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