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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. present — there
  3. fine — high quality
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fine — all right
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cue — a signal
  8. squash — to crush
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cue — for pool
  11. key — in music
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. present — the time now
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bore — to tire
  17. key — for a lock
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. squash — the sport
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. present — a gift

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