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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: present · bore · court · saw · spring · pass · pound · date

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. present — a gift
  4. saw — the tool
  5. court — of law
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. spring — of water
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. spring — a coil
  12. court — for sport
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. present — the time now
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pound — a weight
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. court — of a king
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. present — there

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