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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: bore · straw · date · deal · wound · court · racket · lean

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lean — to bend
  4. court — of a king
  5. wound — an injury
  6. date — the fruit
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — to drill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. lean — thin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. court — of law
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. court — for sport
  21. bore — to tire
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bore — gave birth

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