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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. net — for catching
  6. suit — in cards
  7. field — for sport
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cap — a lid
  10. net — in sport
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bank — for money
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rash — a series
  20. field — farmland
  21. rash — hasty
  22. net — after costs
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — a line

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