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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bound — tied together
  4. file — a tool
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bound — obliged
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mate — to breed
  11. race — humankind
  12. pop — music
  13. bound — certain
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pop — soda
  17. file — a document
  18. mate — a friend
  19. race — a contest
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cap — a hat

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