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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. charge — in control
  3. field — farmland
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — all right
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. spell — magic
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. charge — a price
  12. prune — to trim
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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