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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ground — crushed
  6. scale — in music
  7. ground — a position
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. spell — letters
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chair — a leader
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bore — gave birth

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