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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mate — to breed
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bore — to tire
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ground — a position
  22. mate — a friend
  23. drill — army training
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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