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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. chair — a leader
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mate — to breed
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. suit — to fit
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. field — for sport
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. field — a subject
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mate — a partner
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. capital — a city
  20. mate — a friend
  21. field — farmland
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bore — to tire
  24. suit — in cards

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