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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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tube — a container
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — army training
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. spring — the season
  21. stand — to bear
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. drill — the tool

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