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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bore — to drill
  4. present — there
  5. scale — in music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. spring — the season
  8. present — a gift
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spring — of water
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. race — a contest
  19. present — the time now
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bore — to tire
  22. ground — a position
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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