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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. track — a song
  3. toast — bread
  4. track — to keep track
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. track — a path
  7. last — final
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bore — to tire
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. last — to go on
  16. current — electric
  17. bore — to drill
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. last — finally

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