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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pit — in a race
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wind — moving air
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mouse — the animal
  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