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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. row — a line
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bore — to tire
  8. court — for sport
  9. ball — a dance
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mate — a partner
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mate — to breed
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. row — to paddle

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