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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. game — wild animals
  5. season — of the year
  6. press — to push
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. season — in sport
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bore — to tire
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. game — a match
  24. cue — a signal

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