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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. firm — a company
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. firm — steady
  11. bore — to tire
  12. firm — decided
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. current — electric
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. squash — to crush
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bat — the animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. current — of water
  24. squash — the sport

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