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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: court · pit · leaves · ruler · bowl · bear · bore · toast

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pit — a hole
  7. toast — bread
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bear — the animal
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bore — to tire
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. court — of law
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. court — for sport
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. court — of a king
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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