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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bore — to drill
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rock — music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pop — soda
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — a match
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rock — a stone
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pop — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — of ice
  24. prune — the fruit

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