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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bore — to drill
  3. last — final
  4. cue — a signal
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. last — finally
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ground — crushed
  10. scale — in music
  11. ground — the earth
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. last — to go on
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ground — a position
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rule — government
  19. present — the time now
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rule — a law
  24. season — to add flavour

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