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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. key — the most important part
  3. club — for golf
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cap — a hat
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fall — the season
  22. club — a group
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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