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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. swing — music
  5. bank — for money
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bank — for money
  8. race — humankind
  9. bore — to tire
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. race — a contest
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bore — to drill
  17. swing — in golf
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bound — certain

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