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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spring — the season
  9. net — after costs
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bore — to drill
  13. kid — child
  14. spring — a coil
  15. drill — army training
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rest — a break
  20. spring — of water
  21. scale — in music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bore — to tire
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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