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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. key — in music
  6. fork — in a road
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — a face
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mug — to rob
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. key — the most important part
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mug — a cup

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