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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bat — the animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mate — a partner

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