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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a dance
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. staff — employees
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. field — farmland
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rock — music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rock — a stone
  19. field — a subject
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — to move gently

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