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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. court — of law
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. court — of a king
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. court — for sport
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fork — in a road
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bore — to tire
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bore — to drill
  24. tear — from crying

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