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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 hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bore — to drill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rock — music
  8. scale — in music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. staff — employees
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — after costs
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. net — for catching
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rock — to move gently

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