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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cap — of ice
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. hand — help
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. spring — the season
  12. field — farmland
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. field — a subject
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. field — for sport
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bore — gave birth

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