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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stand — to bear
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bore — to drill
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. game — wild animals
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — a match
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stand — for spectators

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