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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 116 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pop — music
  6. firm — decided
  7. ball — a great time
  8. press — a publisher
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. march — the month
  12. bear — the animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. pop — soda
  15. press — to push
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ball — a dance
  18. march — music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. race — humankind
  22. firm — a company
  23. march — the month
  24. ball — a round shape

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