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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. net — for catching
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ground — a position
  6. present — the time now
  7. net — in sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. game — a match
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. net — after costs
  15. present — a gift
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. bear — to put up with

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