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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. suit — to fit
  3. season — of the year
  4. pit — in a race
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bore — to drill
  7. present — the time now
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. season — in sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. capital — a city
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. capital — money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. present — there
  23. fan — a supporter
  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