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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bore — to tire
  5. date — the fruit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bore — to drill
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spring — the season
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mug — a face
  15. spring — a coil
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pop — music
  19. roll — a list
  20. pop — soda
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — of water
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mug — a cup

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