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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 124 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. present — a gift
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mine — for digging
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bore — to tire
  21. present — the time now
  22. sharp — clever
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. present — there

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