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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fork — in a road
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bore — to drill
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to click
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ground — a position
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. drill — army training

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