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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bore — to drill
  4. club — for dancing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. scale — size or range
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. club — for golf
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — a group
  15. ball — a great time
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. chair — a leader
  23. scale — in music
  24. bore — gave birth

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