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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. spring — a coil
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — a trace
  5. scale — in music
  6. rash — a series
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — of water
  9. mate — to breed
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. spring — the season
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rash — hasty
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mate — a friend
  22. scale — size or range
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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