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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. object — a thing
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. net — in sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. tube — the underground
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. craft — a skill
  19. date — the fruit
  20. object — an aim
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. object — to protest
  24. craft — boats

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