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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. drill — army training
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. drill — the tool
  9. roll — a list
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rock — music
  19. drill — a practice
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. roll — a cake

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