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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: racket · row · bay · bore · pit · bowl · pitcher · firm

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. firm — decided
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bore — to drill
  10. firm — steady
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. firm — a company
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. row — a line
  24. bowl — a dish

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