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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fine — high quality
  4. deal — to handle
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — all right
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — a match
  23. perch — the fish
  24. plane — in geometry

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