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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. court — of law
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. court — of a king
  6. bore — to drill
  7. clip — for paper
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. court — for sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pitch — completely
  14. season — in sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. season — of the year
  23. clip — a video
  24. bore — to tire

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