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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bore — to drill
  4. season — in sport
  5. field — for sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. field — farmland
  9. rock — music
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — a series
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. field — a subject
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. rock — a stone
  23. straw — dry grass
  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