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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bore — to tire
  5. spring — of water
  6. land — a country
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. march — music
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spring — the season
  18. land — to come down
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. land — ground
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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