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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cell — in biology
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. drill — army training
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cap — a lid
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bore — to tire

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