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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. object — an aim
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ball — a great time
  7. field — a subject
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. prune — the fruit

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