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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. band — a ring
  3. tube — a container
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. shower — to wash
  7. scale — in music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. band — a music group
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tube — the underground
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. shower — rain
  20. board — to get on
  21. scale — size or range
  22. saw — the tool
  23. board — a committee
  24. fork — a garden tool

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