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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. press — to push
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cue — a signal
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. scale — in music
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cue — for pool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. scale — size or range
  22. press — a publisher
  23. drill — army training
  24. bore — to drill

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