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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cue — a signal
  5. club — a group
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. club — for golf
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. wake — a trail
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. press — newspapers

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