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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. present — there
  3. season — in sport
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pit — a hole
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. season — of the year
  19. bass — the fish
  20. present — the time now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. present — a gift
  24. pass — a permit

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