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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bore — to drill
  4. foot — a measure
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bat — the animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. key — the most important part
  16. field — for sport
  17. key — in music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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