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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. ground — the earth
  8. capital — a city
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rule — a law
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rule — government
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bear — the animal

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