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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — a song
  4. object — a thing
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bore — to tire
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. track — a path
  9. season — in sport
  10. bore — to drill
  11. season — of the year
  12. pop — music
  13. object — an aim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pop — soda
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pop — to visit

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