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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bat — the animal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — a stone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — the animal
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bore — to drill
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bore — to tire
  22. season — in sport
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rock — music

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