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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bore — to tire
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — to drill
  9. date — the fruit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — a tin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mouse — the animal
  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