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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. scale — in music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. game — a match
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. content — the amount
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. game — wild animals

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