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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. field — farmland
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. capital — money
  8. rule — a law
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rule — government
  12. bass — low music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. staff — employees
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. staff — employees
  18. capital — a city
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bore — to tire
  21. field — for sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. capital — a big letter

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