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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. season — in sport
  3. mine — for digging
  4. season — of the year
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fine — all right
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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