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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. field — farmland
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. squash — to crush
  6. branch — a division
  7. object — an aim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. object — a thing
  14. bore — to tire
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. press — to push
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. squash — the sport
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stock — goods
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. object — to protest
  24. saw — the tool

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