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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: mine · pit · bat · plane · spell · bore · bear · fine

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fine — all right
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mine — an explosive

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