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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 124 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. field — a subject
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. deal — to handle
  12. net — after costs
  13. rule — a law
  14. field — for sport
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bore — to drill
  17. net — for catching
  18. bore — to tire
  19. field — farmland
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. net — in sport

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