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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bore — to drill
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ball — a round shape

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