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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. board — a committee
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cue — a hint
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cue — for pool
  12. spell — letters
  13. cue — a signal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bore — to tire
  16. capital — a city
  17. board — to get on
  18. ball — a great time
  19. spell — magic
  20. spring — the season
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. capital — money

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