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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bear — the animal
  4. race — humankind
  5. scale — size or range
  6. race — the arms race
  7. court — for sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. court — of law
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bore — to tire
  13. scale — in music
  14. race — a contest
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bore — to drill
  18. court — of a king
  19. bear — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mouse — the animal

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