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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. charge — a price
  6. land — to come down
  7. pass — a permit
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bore — to tire
  12. land — a country
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — in control
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. charge — electricity
  17. land — ground
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rock — music
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rock — a stone
  22. spring — the season
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bowl — a dish

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