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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. bore — to tire
  4. field — farmland
  5. bore — to drill
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mine — for digging
  9. charge — in control
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. row — a line
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. capital — money
  15. mate — a partner
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. charge — a price
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. capital — a city
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. capital — a big letter

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