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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 124 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rule — a law
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rule — government
  5. rest — a break
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mug — to rob
  8. present — the time now
  9. capital — money
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. present — there
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — a face
  19. capital — a city
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rest — what's left
  22. present — a gift
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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