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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — a path
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — a division
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. tube — the underground
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bound — obliged
  12. content — happy
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tube — a container
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. bound — certain
  22. track — a song
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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