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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cap — a hat
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cap — a lid
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stock — shares
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. court — of a king
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. court — for sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stock — goods
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bore — to drill
  24. court — of law

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