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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rock — a stone
  4. game — a match
  5. field — farmland
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rock — music
  11. game — wild animals
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. field — a subject
  15. bore — to drill
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. saw — the tool
  19. field — for sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bore — to tire
  24. trunk — of a tree

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