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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to drill
  4. court — of a king
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. present — a gift
  7. stand — to bear
  8. present — there
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. present — the time now
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rest — what's left
  17. court — for sport
  18. scale — in music
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bore — to tire
  22. court — of law
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stand — on your feet

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