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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. present — a gift
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. present — there
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bore — to tire
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — to drill
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. present — the time now
  20. roll — a cake
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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