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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 124 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fine — all right
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fine — high quality
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a match
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bore — to drill
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fine — a penalty

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