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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bore — to drill
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. capital — a city
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. court — of law
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. court — for sport
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. scale — in music
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bore — to tire
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. court — of a king
  22. scale — size or range
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. capital — money

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