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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pit — in a race
  4. court — of a king
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. object — a thing
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. rule — a law
  11. board — to get on
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. object — to protest
  15. net — after costs
  16. bore — to tire
  17. net — in sport
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rule — government
  22. bat — the animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. pit — a hole

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