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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rash — a series
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. key — for a lock
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. land — to come down
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bore — to drill
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bore — to tire
  13. land — a country
  14. key — in music
  15. pit — a hole
  16. land — ground
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rash — hasty
  19. season — of the year
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — in music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. season — in 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