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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. season — in sport
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bore — to drill
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. season — of the year
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bore — to tire
  12. present — a gift
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. race — humankind
  15. deal — to handle
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. race — a contest
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. present — there
  23. key — in music
  24. deal — an agreement

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