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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. present — there
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bore — to drill
  6. squash — to crush
  7. march — music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. march — the month
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cue — a hint
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cue — a signal
  21. march — the month
  22. bore — to tire
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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