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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fork — in a road
  3. staff — a stick
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. file — a tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bore — to tire
  12. staff — employees
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — a break
  17. mug — a face
  18. mark — a trace
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. staff — employees

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