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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. season — of the year
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fine — all right
  24. pitcher — a jug

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