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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. kick — in football
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cap — of ice
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rock — music
  10. mug — a face
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mug — to rob
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. scale — in music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. net — after costs

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