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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. dip — to sink
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. field — farmland
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. field — a subject
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. field — for sport
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. charge — a price
  17. stock — goods
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stock — shares
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. charge — in control
  23. board — a committee
  24. dip — a sauce

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