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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cap — a lid
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bore — to tire
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bank — for money
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pitch — a sports field

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