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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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468
Word bank
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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fine — all right
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bore — to drill
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fine — high quality
  16. spell — magic
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. spell — a short time
  19. snap — to click
  20. bore — to tire
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ball — a great time
  23. spell — letters
  24. racket — a loud noise

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