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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bore — to tire
  5. capital — a city
  6. bear — the animal
  7. snap — to click
  8. mark — a trace
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. club — a group
  11. capital — money
  12. scale — in music
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. scale — size or range

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