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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bore — to tire
  4. court — of a king
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — a country
  8. rule — government
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rule — a law
  11. bore — to drill
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. land — ground
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. game — a match
  22. land — to come down
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cabinet — ministers

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