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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — music
  5. bore — to tire
  6. march — the month
  7. ground — a position
  8. season — in sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ruler — for measuring

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