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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. court — of law
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. court — of a king
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. court — for sport
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mark — a grade

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