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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. charge — a price
  5. capital — a city
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. charge — in control
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. capital — money
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cold — an illness

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