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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. spell — a short time
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. field — farmland
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. land — to come down
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. board — to get on
  9. rock — music
  10. spell — magic
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. field — for sport
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. land — a country
  17. board — a committee
  18. spell — letters
  19. field — a subject
  20. land — ground
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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