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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. march — the month
  3. saw — the tool
  4. row — a line
  5. ball — a dance
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. march — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. deal — to handle
  11. present — there
  12. bore — to tire
  13. row — to paddle
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ball — a great time
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. march — the month

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