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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rule — government
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. sharp — clever
  10. game — a match
  11. track — to keep track
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. content — the amount
  14. track — a path
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. content — happy
  23. track — a song
  24. pit — in a race

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