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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pit — in a race
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. branch — a division
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pit — a hole
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. prune — to trim

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