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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rest — a break
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. track — a path
  10. pitch — completely
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. drill — army training
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bore — to tire

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