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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 116 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — farmland
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. file — a document
  10. bank — for money
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. fine — all right
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bore — to drill

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