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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. season — in sport
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. race — the arms race
  8. capital — a city
  9. season — of the year
  10. race — a contest
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cap — a hat
  15. can — to be able to
  16. root — of a plant
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cap — of ice
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — to tire
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. race — humankind
  24. cap — a lid

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