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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · prune · bear · racket · game · stick · bore · row

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. game — wild animals
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. row — to paddle
  14. game — a match
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kid — to tease
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kid — child
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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