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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mate — a friend
  3. track — a song
  4. spring — a coil
  5. track — to keep track
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bore — to tire
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spring — the season
  10. court — of law
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. court — for sport
  16. firm — steady
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. court — of a king
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spring — of water
  21. track — a path
  22. mate — to breed
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. firm — decided

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