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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. season — in sport
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cue — for pool
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. file — a tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. tube — the underground
  18. file — a document
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pit — in a race
  21. tube — a container
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mouse — the animal

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