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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 no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. season — in sport
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. march — the month
  7. key — in music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bore — to tire
  12. key — the most important part
  13. season — of the year
  14. ground — the earth
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. march — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — low music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. march — the month

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