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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. field — farmland
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. field — a subject
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bore — to tire
  7. field — for sport
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. firm — a company
  10. bat — the animal
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. firm — decided
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bank — of a river
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. firm — steady
  21. deal — to handle
  22. foot — a measure
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. deal — a big deal

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