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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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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: pit · court · mug · face · tear · march · racket · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bore — to tire
  4. march — the month
  5. court — of law
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — for sport
  8. face — part of the head
  9. march — the month
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. tear — from crying
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mug — a cup
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — a hole
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. face — to confront
  20. march — music
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. face — to point toward
  24. court — of a king

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