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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 124 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. squash — to crush
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bore — to drill
  9. season — of the year
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. present — the time now
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. present — there
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — a measure
  22. squash — the sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — a gift

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