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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. track — a song
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. key — the most important part
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. spring — of water
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wake — a trail
  17. spring — the season
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pitch — a sports field

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