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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. club — for golf
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bore — to drill
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. club — a group
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. content — the amount
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bore — to tire

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