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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. object — an aim
  9. mark — a trace
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. object — a thing
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. mark — a grade
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. roll — a list
  18. bore — to tire
  19. object — to protest
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. game — a match
  22. fine — all right
  23. foot — a measure
  24. game — wild animals

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