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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. net — in sport
  3. rock — a stone
  4. file — a document
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bore — to drill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. net — after costs
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — for catching
  12. suit — in cards
  13. file — a tool
  14. rock — music
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. coach — a trainer

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