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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spring — a coil
  9. plane — a tool
  10. tube — a container
  11. march — the month
  12. tube — the underground
  13. ground — a position
  14. march — music
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spring — of water
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spring — the season
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. march — the month

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