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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — money
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. squash — to crush
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bore — to tire
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bore — to drill
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. capital — a city
  24. mouse — for a computer

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