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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. current — electric
  4. mark — a trace
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. net — after costs
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mark — a grade
  14. field — farmland
  15. net — in sport
  16. track — a song
  17. net — for catching
  18. field — a subject
  19. current — happening now
  20. field — for sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — of water
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bore — to tire

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