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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. capital — a city
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rule — government
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. capital — money
  15. branch — a division
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rule — a law
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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