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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bore — to drill
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. capital — a city
  18. court — of law
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cold — not warm
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. court — of a king
  23. charge — in control
  24. court — for sport

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