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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. tube — a container
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. toast — bread
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wound — an injury
  24. craft — boats

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