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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. track — a path
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. net — in sport
  7. ground — the earth
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ground — crushed
  13. track — a song
  14. bore — to tire
  15. net — for catching
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. net — after costs
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cell — a phone
  21. ground — a position
  22. game — a match
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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