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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. season — in sport
  3. cap — of ice
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cap — a hat
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rash — hasty
  24. capital — a city

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