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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bore — to drill
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. board — to get on
  5. tear — to rip
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. date — the fruit
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. row — to paddle
  15. capital — money
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. capital — a city
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. board — a committee
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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