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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pit — a hole
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bore — to tire
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bore — to drill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mug — a face
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mug — a cup

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