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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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rest — what's left
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. last — to go on
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — finally
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ground — a position
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rest — a break
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ground — crushed
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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