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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pop — soda
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. spring — of water
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. race — a contest
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. suit — clothes
  18. spring — the season
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. race — humankind
  22. spring — a coil
  23. race — the arms race
  24. press — to push

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