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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kid — to tease
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pit — in a race
  6. field — farmland
  7. bore — to tire
  8. field — for sport
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pit — a hole
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. field — a subject
  16. spring — the season
  17. kid — child
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spring — of water
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cap — of ice

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