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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. field — for sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. field — a subject
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tube — a container
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rule — a law
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rule — government
  17. fine — all right
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fork — in a road

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