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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cap — a lid
  3. can — a tin
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. land — ground
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bore — to drill
  9. staff — employees
  10. land — a country
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bank — of a river
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cap — a hat
  20. drill — army training
  21. land — to come down
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cap — of ice
  24. can — a tin

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