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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. march — music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cold — not warm
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. march — the month
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bore — to tire
  17. march — the month
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. vault — a safe
  21. scale — in music
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cold — an illness
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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