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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pop — soda
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bore — to tire
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pop — music
  24. bore — to drill

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