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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bore — to drill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. field — a subject
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bore — to tire
  20. field — farmland
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pop — to visit

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