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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. firm — a company
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bulb — for light
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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