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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. club — a group
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. object — to protest
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. object — an aim
  13. club — for golf
  14. object — a thing
  15. bore — to tire
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. firm — decided
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. club — for dancing
  21. firm — a company
  22. cold — an illness
  23. firm — steady
  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