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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. ground — the earth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. degree — from a university
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pit — a hole
  11. ground — a position
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. can — a tin
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stem — to come from
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pit — in a race
  24. can — a tin

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