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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cell — in biology
  5. drill — army training
  6. bore — to drill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — a phone
  11. court — of law
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mug — a cup
  17. drill — the tool
  18. staff — a stick
  19. drill — a practice
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. mug — a face
  24. racket — a loud noise

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