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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. kick — in football
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bore — to tire
  9. content — happy
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. content — the amount
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mark — a trace
  19. capital — a city
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. capital — money

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