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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. content — happy
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. content — the amount
  7. rest — a break
  8. mine — for digging
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cue — a signal
  24. racket — for tennis

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