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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. game — a match
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. scale — size or range
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. lean — thin
  20. spring — of water
  21. scale — in music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mouse — the animal

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