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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. field — a subject
  4. last — final
  5. club — a group
  6. last — to go on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. present — a gift
  11. dip — to sink
  12. last — finally
  13. present — there
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. present — the time now
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bulb — for light
  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