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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lean — thin
  8. court — for sport
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bat — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. mug — a face
  14. court — of a king
  15. lean — to bend
  16. court — of law
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pit — in a race
  20. season — in sport
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mug — a cup

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