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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. race — humankind
  3. charge — electricity
  4. race — the arms race
  5. spring — of water
  6. charge — a price
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. march — music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bore — to tire
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. march — the month
  16. bear — the animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. march — the month
  22. staff — employees
  23. race — a contest
  24. racket — for tennis

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