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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bore — to tire
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bore — to drill
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. row — a line
  14. court — of a king
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. tube — a container
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. ruler — a monarch

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