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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rest — a break
  3. net — in sport
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. net — for catching
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rest — what's left
  17. net — after costs
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. bore — to tire
  24. temple — a place of worship

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