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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. field — farmland
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cue — a hint
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rush — hurry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — for sport
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ball — a dance
  22. field — a subject
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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