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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. roll — a cake
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. field — farmland
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bore — to tire
  11. field — for sport
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pop — music
  14. roll — a list
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kick — in football
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. field — a subject
  20. toast — bread
  21. pass — a permit
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pop — soda

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