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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. bore — to tire
  7. suit — in cards
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. race — a contest
  13. net — in sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. suit — to fit
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rest — a break
  19. race — humankind
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. suit — clothes
  22. spell — magic
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. scale — in music

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