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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. track — a path
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stock — goods
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rest — a break
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stock — shares
  22. track — a song
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pass — a permit

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