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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. board — a committee
  9. ground — the earth
  10. field — a subject
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. field — for sport
  13. board — to get on
  14. staff — employees
  15. can — a tin
  16. bore — to tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. pass — a permit
  19. spell — letters
  20. staff — employees
  21. field — farmland
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pass — to spend time

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