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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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 drill
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. branch — a division
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. net — in sport
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pound — a weight
  9. track — a song
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. net — after costs
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. net — for catching
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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