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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. present — a gift
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. object — to protest
  8. present — the time now
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — there
  11. scale — size or range
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. object — an aim
  18. capital — money
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. scale — in music
  21. object — a thing
  22. capital — a city
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. straw — a straw man

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