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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bore — to drill
  4. last — to go on
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. race — humankind
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mug — a cup
  11. race — a contest
  12. last — finally
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. last — final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — goods
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stock — shares
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. bulb — for light

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