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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. drill — the tool
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a face
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. drill — a practice
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. drill — army training
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mug — to rob

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