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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. court — for sport
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stand — to bear
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stem — to come from
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. court — of a king
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ground — the earth
  21. court — of law
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. bore — to drill

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