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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. scale — size or range
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — in music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — in a road
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. board — to get on
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bore — to tire
  22. court — for sport
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bore — to drill

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