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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. season — of the year
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. season — in sport
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bore — to tire
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. toast — bread
  20. wake — a trail
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. saw — the tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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