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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 120 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to drill
  4. track — a path
  5. wax — to grow
  6. field — farmland
  7. saw — the tool
  8. degree — temperature
  9. charge — electricity
  10. field — for sport
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. charge — a price
  13. field — a subject
  14. bore — to tire
  15. degree — from a university
  16. charge — in control
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. track — to keep track
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. net — after costs
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. track — a song
  24. net — for catching

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