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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bat — the animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. season — of the year
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — a hint
  13. capital — a city
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mark — a trace
  16. capital — money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. season — in sport
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mark — a grade

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