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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fine — all right
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fine — high quality
  13. track — a song
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. capital — money
  16. foot — a measure
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. capital — a city
  24. ruler — a monarch

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