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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. march — the month
  3. pit — a hole
  4. row — a line
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. staff — employees
  11. pit — in a race
  12. staff — employees
  13. march — music
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. march — the month
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. staff — a stick
  23. field — for sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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