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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ground — a position
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. key — in music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. spring — of water
  11. season — in sport
  12. bound — certain
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bore — to tire
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. season — of the year
  20. spring — the season
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bat — the animal

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