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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rash — a series
  3. fork — in a road
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. drill — a practice
  6. prune — to trim
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. present — the time now
  12. bore — to tire
  13. drill — army training
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. present — a gift
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. prune — to trim
  23. present — there
  24. rash — hasty

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