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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · pass · staff · scale · race · bore · spring · sharp

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. scale — in music
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spring — of water
  15. race — a contest
  16. sharp — clever
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — to tire
  19. staff — a stick
  20. scale — size or range
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. staff — employees
  24. race — humankind

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