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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cap — of ice
  5. field — a subject
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mate — to breed
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pit — in a race

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