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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bore — to drill
  3. season — in sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. field — a subject
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cue — a signal
  8. staff — employees
  9. key — for a lock
  10. staff — employees
  11. key — the most important part
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. season — of the year
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cue — for pool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. key — in music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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