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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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. cue — a signal
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. land — ground
  8. date — the fruit
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. craft — boats
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. land — to come down
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cue — a hint
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. land — a country
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bore — gave birth

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