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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fork — in a road
  5. content — the amount
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bore — to drill
  11. staff — employees
  12. face — part of the head
  13. net — in sport
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bore — to tire
  16. net — after costs
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pit — in a race
  21. content — happy
  22. face — to confront
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fork — a garden tool

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