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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. track — to keep track
  4. field — farmland
  5. track — a song
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chip — for betting
  13. track — a path
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mark — a grade
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bound — certain
  24. bore — to tire

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