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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — goods
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bore — to drill

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