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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bound — tied together
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. spring — of water
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spring — the season
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. suit — to fit

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