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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tear — from crying
  5. board — to get on
  6. key — in music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. tear — from crying
  10. board — a committee
  11. bore — to drill
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ball — a dance
  23. drill — army training
  24. board — a flat piece

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