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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. kick — in football
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. content — happy
  11. cue — a signal
  12. content — the amount
  13. object — a thing
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bore — to tire
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bore — to drill
  20. object — an aim
  21. board — a committee
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. object — to protest

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