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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bore — to drill
  4. content — the amount
  5. tube — the underground
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. tube — a container
  8. content — happy
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bound — certain
  15. key — in music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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