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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. row — to paddle
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bore — to tire
  10. row — a line
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mark — a grade
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bore — to drill
  18. court — of law
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. court — of a king
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. row — a quarrel

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