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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. date — the fruit
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stand — to bear
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mug — a face
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ground — a position
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fork — a garden tool

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