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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. track — to keep track
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rest — a break
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bore — to drill
  11. track — a path
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. track — a song
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rest — what's left
  18. object — an aim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. date — the fruit
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. object — a thing
  24. bore — to tire

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