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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cap — of ice
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cap — a lid
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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