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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rash — hasty
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — the amount
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. content — happy
  19. pit — in a race
  20. ball — a dance
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rash — a series
  23. bore — to tire
  24. content — videos and posts

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