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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — in cards
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hand — help
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. key — in music
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bat — in an idiom

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