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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. game — a match
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hand — help
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bat — the animal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a kind of play

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