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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. present — there
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. squash — the sport
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. row — a line
  13. bore — to drill
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. row — to paddle
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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